Canned M1 Rifles

[The Wizard]

I just got my copy of The Garand Stand Report in the mail yesterday and there were RECENT photos of a warehouse full of "canned" M1 rifles in it. No real information was provided in the article. Does anyone have more intel on this find?

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[JBS]

Not sure, are they the Korean Garands or is it a photo of the 176 Garands the CMP folks found in tattered paper wraps this past spring ?

[The Wizard]

I counted 10, I SAY AGAIN 10 pallets full of "cans" in one picture and in another picture a warehouse full of crates said to be full of M1 rifles and carbines. The article state that the CMP is NOT involved. Am I the only person that subscribes to "The Garand Stand Report" and you call yourselves Garand fans! You know not all knowledge is on the internet!

[Bob Womack]

I'm just hoping they came with beans, toilet paper, and tropical chocolate and not eggs and lima beans.

[frankderrico]

I think "Mark in Rochester" posted that photo awhile back. I remember it being a post war storage wharehouse. I could be wrong, maybe Mark will way in tomorrow with the pic.....Frank

[Ramboueille]

I counted 10, I SAY AGAIN 10 pallets full of "cans" in one picture and in another picture a warehouse full of crates said to be full of M1 rifles and carbines. The article state that the CMP is NOT involved. Am I the only person that subscribes to "The Garand Stand Report" and you call yourselves Garand fans! You know not all knowledge is on the internet!

Old news. They have been photgraphed for years in Korea and they will probably stay there. Mike Stratton photographed and inspected them in 1975. CMP inspected them some time ago too.

[mack]

Not to downplay these rifles and their significance in Garand history, but keep in mind these are likely rebuilds from WWII rifles. Springfield Arsenal remanufactured thousands of these rifles and "canned" them for any eventual outbreak of warfare. The thinking in those days was that most future conflicts would be quickly decided by atomic weapons, not conventioanl arms. That changed when the Russians and then the Chinese became players in the Atomic Club in the 1950's. This is why we destroyed the world's largest air force (more than 40,000 fighter planes and bombers in the late 40's and 50's.

The canned rifles got shipped off to one of the "brushfire" wars (Korea) and stayed there as forgotten relics of a bygone time. Reports over the years found many of these hermetically sealed cannisters (think "canned," like beans or tomatoes, literally) had rusted through and the rifles were ruined. The Koreas asked for ridiculously high prices for the remaining rifles, roughly 100,000-120,000 Garands and Carbines, most not in sealed containers and used pretty hard over the last 55-60 years. These newer imports were rejected by CMP at a time when they were way down on M-1 supplies, so the prices must have been out of sight.

Since these were purchased from the US, the Koreans can sell them or not, as they see fit. I saw the announcement of these rifles coming to the US some time ago, but with the election of the liberal government in Washington, I doubt if there will be a big move to grant an import license. With the increased willingness of the US to bow to UN pressure on the Small Arms Treaty to limit the dispersal of small arms, you might see these becoming part of one of the Korean supertankers or a bridge support near you rather than occupying space in your gun cabinet. The Koreans could probably curry more favor by melting these than profits from selling them.

Perhaps our neighbors north of the border will benefit and these old vets will find their way into Canada. You guys need a few extra M1's and Carbines up there to control the tundra herds or punch some more paper targets? More likely to come your way than ours, at least right now.

[Calif-Steve]

The Korean Government has placed all of its Garands and Carbines on the market. They have stated the money gained will be used to purchase US equipment. The State Dept. has OK'd this deal. The Koreans will sell the Garands w/ some Carbines in a single lot and the rest of the Carbines will go out in 2-3 lots. No one has come forward with the necessary cash and the Koreans will not "carry" anyone. So that brings you up to date.

[Dave Waits]

They also stored them like that in certain Bomb Shelters in the 50-60s, usually in big Cities. Removed them all by the early 70s.

[enbloc8]

Wow, never heard that story (though it makes some sense for restoring order ASAP). Did they store stuff like clip belts/suspenders as well, and as there any sort of special storage for the ammunition as well?